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6 Apr 2012

A - Z Writing Challenge: F

The
letter for today is: F, where I feature Francene
and fruit.

With
the surname of Brown when I was born, my mother searched for a first name to
lift her new daughter out of the mundane. She chose the French title of a
hairdresser. Francine lent the quality she required. Somehow, during the
registration and baptism, the spelling changed, resulting in the even more
unusual Francene.

I
never questioned my name, never rejected the tag which set me apart, simply
smiled at the looks from other children and took charge of their games and
entertainment. It never occurred to me that the glances might be derisory.

The
name Francene could have been the
reason I sailed through every life situation without snagging on rocky ground.
By accepting what could have been a difficulty, I side-stepped to a happy life.
I'd rather eat fruit than cake. Fruit represents reality, goodness and
nature. Cake is made up of bits and pieces, constructed to form something to
appeal to the taste.

Lovely, Francene... Those of us with unusual names do share that--fruit over cake (even if just metaphorically, haha). We grow up with an almost instinctive understanding of our uniqueness. Everyone is unique, of course, but it takes us less time to "get" it. And that, indeed, does make for an easier path to happiness :)